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>> Tom Perkins, one of the founding fathers of Silicon Valley has died. In 1972, Perkins cofounded the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, which would go on to fund some of the biggest names of the Internet age, including Google and Amazon. The firm's early investment successes in the 1970s and 80s helping transform Silicon Valley into a destination for like-minded venture capital firms and for tech startups looking for cash.

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Perkins came under criticism in 2014 for penning a letter to the Wall Street Journal equating the Occupy Wall Street's movement's, quote, demonization of the rich to Nazi persecution of Jews. That letter led him to publicly break from Kleiner Perkins, which tried to distance itself from its founder's comments.

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Perkins later apologized for his language. The billionaire certainly flaunted his wealth. A lover of yachts, Perkins owned this 289 foot, triple-masted clipper named the Maltese Falcon. Perkins' twice divorced and is survived by two children from his first marriage. He was 84 years old.